From "Just A Job" To Your Dream Career

Here is an article I found from Deborah Brown Volkman who is a contributing columnist for Columbus Wired. We can all relate to what she’s talking about.

Are you in a career you love, or in a job you are tolerating?
What's the difference? If you're working strictly to earn a paycheck to pay the bills, you have a job. Ifyour days are filled with passion and delight for the work you do, you have a dream career.

So how is your career going? Is it filled with dreams or nightmares?

We all have responsibilities. Bills to pay and futures to save for. Going to work is reality. So why notshoot for the stars? Why not have a goal to make a great salary while doing work you love?

Impossible? Guess what? It won't happen until you decide that it will happen. When you tackle new challenges in your career, the beginning is the hardest. Once you jump in, your goals take shape, and they begin to seem realer and easier to achieve.

Here is how some of my clients described their dream careers when they were at the beginning of their shift from job to career:

"My dream career would be focusing on the areas where I can find fulfillment and can make a difference in the lives of others. It has to be creative." -- Linda May

"My dream career would be working at something I'd do if no one paid me to do it."-- Dale Alvaraz

"It has to get me excited. So excited that I would rather work than watch TV or do something else.Another indicator is when I can wake up early without an alarm clock and I am looking forward to the day." --Alex So

So How To Do Make The Shift From "Just A Job" To Your Dream Career? Follow These Four Steps Below:

1. Recognize That You Want More

Do you know in your heart that you want a career that gives you meaning, purpose, and satisfaction? Listen to your inner voice, because what it is saying to you will not go away until you act. When you get to a point in your career when you know it is not working anymore, it's important that you do something about it.

2. Get Ready Mentally To Have More

Write down what your dream career is. If you do not know, write down what it's not. When you know what you don't want, the flip side is what you do want. Look at this piece of paper everyday. Review it in the morning. Look at it during lunch. Go over your words before you go to sleep. This process will help your thoughts sink in and become a part of your subconscious.

What keeps many of my clients from saying "I can achieve my dream career" is fear. Fear is normal. There's always fear when we take on new goals. But ask yourself which fear is harder to be with: the fear of knowing that you did not give your career its best shot, or a fear of failing?

3. Get Into Action To Have More

Nothing happens until someone does something. And, if you want a dream career, you have to get moving. Act. One action leads to another, which leads to another. This is how goals are reached. Bit by bit. Piece by piece.

I like this paragraph because I feel it’s true. Ppl easily become sidetracked by stuff going on in their daily lives or they give themselves excuses why they can’t do something. I hear this all the time. If a person wants it bad enuff they will make time. When you work on your dream career, a little bit each day, your wish will be granted. Consistency is key. Most of us do not believe that we have hours each day to work on our career, but the truth is we do. How about working on your career ½ hour in the morning, 15 minutes at lunch, ½ hour before you leave the office at night, or an hour after dinner? Breaking your dream career into small achievable pieces will make a tremendous difference. You will be surprised and amazed at how much progress you will make.

4. Recognize That Anything Worthwhile Takes Time

All goals take time. And, the time they take to become real usually takes longer than we'd like. Know that this is part of the process.

Keep moving no matter what, even if you do not feel like. Trust that you are on the right path. Your dream career will happen, because you want it to happen. The effort you put in will be worth it, because the end result will be a career you can proud of.

So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

06/29/08 12:58am

Perseverance

People who fulfill their dreams are not merely lucky; neither are they necessarily the most talented. Rather, they understand the value of perseverance and determination. They believe that setbacks are simply a means to grow, and that small failures only pave the way for new insights. They know where they are going even when others do no not and believe in their own dreams when other doubt. Their vision comes from within---and it is always burning in their hearts.

- Lisa Crofton

06/02/08 11:49pm

Time Passing Us By

Hello Internet Surfers, its me, Cattt. I'm at work working the earrrrrrly morning shift. The past couple of days I've been working some crazy hours, but I always do here. I got off at 4pm yesterday and had to come back in at 12am. The coffee is flowing so I have some fuel to keep me going and now I have warmed up some food and I'm contemplating if I want to eat or not. I'm taking small bites of food and BIG gulps of java! lol!

Well this morning when I was on my way to work to work the 8a-4p shift I stopped at Food Lion to pick up some fuel (aka coffee) before heading off to work. There wasn't anyone in line so I was able to hurry through. I saw Ms. Hoppy, the cashier lady, quickly put down the newspaper and book. As she scanned my can of coffee I leaned over to see what she was reading (I can't help it since I'm a writer). I thought it was the book The King and I, the one with Yul Brynner, but it was The King and I about Luciano Pavarotti. She told me what the book was about and I could tell by the way her eyes lit up that she was such a fan of the opera star. "You love opera?" I asked her. "Oh yes I do!" Ms. Hoppy proceeded to tell me about when she first started to enjoy the music and who her favorites are. She told me that one time she saved up her money to see Pavorotti. She said she would love to go to the opera at Lincoln Center. Attending the event at the center has always been her dream. I was like "For real?" She said "Yes, Cattt, I'm 75, but I'll get there." I was thinking Good Lord! I would hope that I would have visited a couple of times b4 that age if I really wanted to go. I made a note to myself that if I really wanted to go somewhere I needed to get on the ball, stay focused, and actually get it done and not allow other things to pull me away from that.

I will write more later today. Sorry for the errors. What can I say, I haven't slept. Im feeling loopy. Hey the time changed! I get off work sooner! : D